Fire aboard tanker in the Baltic Sea

On Thursday morning, a fire broke out in the engine room on the product tanker Zircone in Riga Bay. The accident happened shortly after the vessel left Riga in Latvia on its way to Denmark with 7,000 tons of diesel fuel. A short circuit in the engine room was allegedly the cause of the fire that engulfed the entire room.

The tanker lost momentum because of the fire. The crew managed to get the flames under control after half an hour. The captain did not request evacuation of the crew. The tanker was monitored by the local authorities. Coastguards and tugboats were sent to assist.

The disabled vessel was pulled back to Riga Shipyard to be investigated and repaired. Fortunately, no person was injured by the accident and no pollution occurred. Local authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.

The product tanker Zircone is at 8,000 DWT. The tanker was built in 1993 by Fincantieri La Spezia in Italy. It sails under the flag of Latvia.